Centralight

4 centralight winter'14 Freshman class grows nearly 27 percent This fall's incoming freshman class numbered 3,811 students – up from 3,012 last year. That's a 26.5 percent increase, boosting CMU's total enrollment to 27,069. The bump is particularly notable in light of the continuing decrease in the number of students graduating from Michigan high schools. "This increase reflects the dedication and hard work done every day by CMU faculty and staff as well as the efforts of our admissions and marketing teams," says George E. Ross, CMU president. CMU's undergraduate enrollment, on campus in Mount Pleasant and through its Global Campus, is at its fourth highest in a decade. Steven Johnson, vice president of enrollment and student services, says the larger freshman class reflects the popularity of CMU across all of Michigan's 83 counties, and he credits the entire university community for achieving the increase. "The whole campus has come together to help middle and high school students appreciate CMU's nationally ranked academic programs and the learning experiences they'll have in the classroom and beyond," Johnson says. • PHOTOS BY STEVE JESSMORE 4 CMU brews up a new certificate program in fermentation science Highly sought curriculum on tap to be sixth in the country CMU's College of Science and Technology is creating a certificate program in fermentation science to teach enrollees to make craft beer. The program would be the first of its kind in Michigan and the sixth in the nation. Students would take a series of advanced science classes that cover topics such as biochemistry and microbiology. Two Mount Pleasant breweries, Mountain Town Brewing Co. and Hunter's Ale House, are slated to be key partners in the proposed program, which is in the academic curriculum process and is expected to enroll its first class in the fall of 2015. "As of 2013, Michigan ranked fifth in the nation in number of breweries, behind only California, Colorado, Oregon and Washington," says Ian Davison, dean of the College of Science and Technology. "This growing industry contributes significantly to the state's economy, supporting jobs in breweries as well as in farms producing barley and hops." In 2012, the Brewers Association calculated that Michigan craft brewing contributed 11,666 full-time equivalent jobs and had about $1 billion in economic impact. • CMU Today The state of the university is 'good, very good' CMU President George E. Ross delivered his annual State of the University address Oct. 8, noting, "With big thinking comes big progress." "We have much to celebrate," Ross told the crowd assembled in Warriner Hall's Plachta Auditorium. "All of us are making a deep impression on students and parents when they are visiting our campus." Ross, who is approaching his fifth year as president, challenged campus to overcome Michigan's shrinking high school classes and increase enrollment at CMU to 30,000. He noted the $95 million Biosciences Building under construction and outlined five strategic priorities, including student success, research and creative activities, quality faculty and staff, community partnerships, and infrastructure stewardship. •

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